Sara went to Quan Âm Tu Viện pagoda which is located on Nhiêu Lộc Canal’s bank with cô Bình.
On arrival, we were invited to join the volunteer group to open up lotus flower petals to prepare flower vases which will be offered to Bhudas on Vesak days. It took Sara and cô Bình 5 minutes to learn to make a beautiful opened-up flower.
There was a stall of calligraphy in the yard. Sara picked a calligraphy letter for herself. She chose the letter “TÂM” – heart because her focus of this year is to learn how to understand and cultivate her “TÂM”.
We joined the Vesak chanting session from 6:30 to 7:30 with the nuns and Buddhists. Doing the Buddha bathing ceremony and enjoying the holy water with cinnamon fragrance, Sara felt as if she got her body and soul purified. What a moment of inner-peace she received!
Finally, Sara went out to the canal to enjoy the brightness given by the 7 big lotus lanterns put in the river flow which symbolize 7 Buddha’s bright and pure steps at birth. She felt the peace of the Vesak atmosphere in the neighborhood.